How to deal with your dog having cancer ?

1. 65

   afriqnetposted 11 years ago

   How to deal with your dog having cancer ?
   
   Today a friend called to ask me about Mammary Gland tumors in dogs. I was concern as he  explained  how his dog had developed a lump on the abdomen. I arranged for his dog to get checked by a fellow Vet, for cancer diagnosis immediately .He also asked me how to deal with a dog having cancer. I thought it would be a good question to post here for fellow Hubbers to share their life experiences about taking care of  dogs having cancer. Kindly share your real life experiences of taking care of a dog suffering from cancer. Thank you

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2. 60

   MickSposted 11 years ago

   I have not had another dog since my old dog, Lassie, had to be put to sleep because of cancer in the mid 80s. A big lump suddenly appeared on her throat, the vet diagnosed it as cancer and suggested that we were not doing her any favours by keeping her alive. it was a hard thing to do, but I don't regret having her put out of her misery, we had given her 15 good years where she was loving, protective, and friendly, and was like a spring lamb.

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   1. 65

      afriqnetposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Euthanasia is inevitable when dealing with cancer in dogs. Dog owners should be prepared for a possibility of Euthanasia when a dog is diagnosed with cancer. Why haven't you thought of getting another dog? Thanks for sharing your experience.

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      MickSposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Besides missing Lassie, My life style coupled with ill health prevents me from caring for another dog that would be fair to it, long runs and play.

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3. 95

   agilitymachposted 11 years ago

   A lot goes into answering this question.  I have one friend who has traveled eight hours to a vet who specialized in the cancer her dog has.  She paid for surgery and treatment.  The dog is doing great (and I mean GREAT) a couple years after surgery, even though the diagnosis wasn't for such a great, long life.  If this dog hadn't gone to the specialist, I'm sure she would have died two years ago.
   
   I have another friend who traveled days several times to go to a vet who specialized in her dog's cancer.  The dog also had surgery and treatment and lived much longer than expected.
   
   However, not everyone has the resources to do this for their dogs.  So the variables in what you do for a dog diagnosed with cancer has to include resources available to the owner.  Spending thousands to give a dog extra years of great life may not be viable for some, and most parts of the country don't have the canine cancer specialists available to the general public.
   
   This makes the decision on what to do for a dog with cancer so much more difficult.  Owners without the resources feel guilty when their pet can't be helped but other pets with owners with time and money can.  It's a dilemma for sure.
   
   I had a cat develop fast spreading cancer that took him in about a week after diagnosis.  My goal for that week was to make sure he wasn't suffering, and when he did, to be prepared to let him go.  It was difficult, but he went just as the suffering became difficult. Of course, I miss him to this day.

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